An alliance of 19 student unions led by the Unified CPN-Maoist-aligned All Nepal National Independent Students Union-Revolutionary today submitted a three-point memorandum to Tribhuvan University, urging the varsity administration to hold Free Students Union election some time in Bhadra (August-September).

“We have urged Tribhuvan University to prepare a scientific academic calendar and fix a permanent date for FSU poll,” said Himal Sharma, president, ANNISU-R.

“Earlier we used to have a fixed date — Falgun 14 — in TU calendar for FSU election, which was later changed due to various reasons. We have urged the varsity to again bring a scientific academic calendar with the fixed date for FSU poll.”

He added that many student unions were not happy with the current poll system. “TU, therefore, must hold discussions with student unions to answer their queries.”

Earlier, TU had decided to hold the FSU election on May 28. It was later postponed to June 1 after ANNISU-R and few other Madhes-based student unions refused to participate in the election, stating that there was not enough time for preparation. But agitating student unions demanded poll deferral again, saying the new June 1 date was set without holding consultations with them and without seeking their consensus.

Now, they are requesting TU to hold the poll in August-September.

Meanwhile, student unions aligned to two ruling parties — Nepali Congress’s Nepal Students Union and CPN-UML’s All Nepal National Free Students Union (ANNFSU) — have urged TU to hold the poll by the second week of June.

Sharma, however, said the poll must be held in Bhadra (August-September) so that the bachelor’s third year examinations, which start from June 4, could be conducted without any hindrances.

But NSU Spokesperson UP Lamichhane said they will not accept the FSU poll in Bhadra.

“At a time when we want the poll to be held at the earliest to protect the students’ movement, the ANNISU-R-led alliance’s demand to defer the poll till Bhadra is not acceptable to us,” Lamichhane said.

According to Sharma, TU has invited student unions for further talks on May 30.

FSU election must be conducted every two years, But it has not been held for the past five years due to prolonged political transition and misunderstanding among student unions over poll date and poll modality.

source: the himalayan times,27 may 2014